Hard slide boosts Tigers back to top of AL Central

A routine slide into second that was anything but routine gave the Tigers their first one-run victory since Aug. 23 -- and their first undisputed hold on first place in the AL Central since July 23.

In the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals, Andy Dirks singled pinch runner Don Kelly to third with one out and then broke up a potential double play with a hard, aggressive slide into second that upended the second baseman, Irving Falu, and let Kelly cross the plate with the winning run.

The Tigers beat the Royals 5-4, and when the Chicago White Sox fell 6-4 to the Cleveland Indians, Detroit was on top of the division standings.

Kelly pinch-ran for Delmon Young, who hit a one-out single, and then stole second.

"That was probably one of my top slides," Dirks said. "I was on him pretty good."

Detroit scored on a Dirks double in the second. After Rick Porcello gave up three in the third and one in the fourth, the Tigers tied the score in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run home run by Alex Avila and a solo home run by Austin Jackson.

The pivotal play, though, was Dirks' slide. With runners on first and third and one out, Jhonny Peralta hit a grounder to third that said "double play" all the way into Mike Moustakas' glove.

"My first reaction when the ball was hit was that he was going home," Kelly said. "Then when I saw the catcher wasn't preparing for the throw, I looked to second and saw (Falu) in the air."

"I saw the third baseman field it," Dirks said. "Then I looked at second, that's my next focus right there."

The Royals made several excellent defensive plays, and so did the Tigers.

Kansas City's Alex Gordon reached over the left field wall to take a home run away from Miguel Cabrera. After a base hit, Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar ran into dead center to take a hit away from Young. Falu robbed Avila of a base hit in the sixth.

Detroit's infield gets criticized, and rightly so in most instances, but Cabrera went over the third base bag and threw out the speedy Escobar in the first with a snap throw while he was flat-footed. Omar Infante followed by getting a ball up the middle and throwing the batter out.

Leyland called for a pitchout out one after Falu singled to start the seventh -- and Avila threw a strike to second to retire the runner.

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MLB Team Report - Detroit Tigers - NOTES, QUOTES

--3B Miguel Cabrera might be about to break out again. Cabrera went hitless for the second straight game Wednesday night, but he hit three balls right on the button, one of them a ball pulled back over the left field wall by Royals LF Alex Gordon. The ball had the hang time of an NFL punt, and Gordon was patiently waiting near the wall before timing his leap and snaring it. "I think that was the highest ball I've ever seen hit," UT Don Kelly said. Cabrera lined a ball off the pitcher in the first inning that went right to the shortstop and was turned into an out. He lined sharply to deep center his second time up.

--RF Andy Dirks got one RBI on Wednesday, but he was responsible for another run scoring. It was Dirks' breakup slide into second base with one out and runners at first and third in the eighth inning that allowed the winning run to score in Detroit's 5-4 victory over Kansas City. "That was probably one of my top slides," Dirks said. "I was on him pretty good." Jhonny Peralta hit a grounder to third that was thrown to second in an effort to get an inning-ending double play, but Dirks upended 2B Irving Falu, preventing a throw to first. Dirks also had an run-scoring single in the second.

--PR Don Kelly made a key steal of second base Wednesday night and wound up scoring the winning run from third in the eighth inning when RF Andy Dirks broke up a potential inning-ending double play with a hard slide into second. Kelly ran after DH Delmon Young singled with one out. "I was looking for the steal (sign)," Kelly said. "I was definitely safe. I went for the front corner of the bag because he was in front of it." Kelly advanced to third on a single to left by Dirks. "It's exciting. It's awesome how we won the game. A stolen base, Dirks' base hit, he takes out the guy out," Kelly said.